There was still no sign of the Manton Bay Ospreys today, but we had a bit of excitement in the Centre when another Osprey landed on the nest! This time it was 25(10), another female who returned last week and is, like 5N(04), waiting for her mate to return. We managed to get a recording of her flying onto the nest (see below). Look out for her at the top of the screen just as the video begins!

At the moment we still only have five birds back in Rutland, the Site B pair and three other females. This time last season we had nine birds back on this date. This proves that the bad weather over the continent has slowed down more than just 30(05), and the Manton Bay pair are not the only birds yet to arrive.

Last season we were lucky as a lot of birds returned early, Maya being a case in point. This year the Ospreys are teaching us that patience is indeed a virtue, and we cannot expect our birds to always return on the same date each year. There are many factors that may affect the speed of an Osprey’s return, and the problems 30 has had demonstrate the effect of the weather on migrating birds.

Thus, we must wait patiently for the Manton Bay Ospreys to return to us, and, in the meantime, take delight from the fleeting visits of other Ospreys who have beaten the weather and already returned!